Slave Labour and the Thai Fishing Industry

[lomuamart]

Here's a pretty harrowing, in-depth article about the above for those who are interested.
I wonder how many major food outlets and consumers might start to boycott Thai prawns?
http://www.theguardian.com/global-devel ... ave-labour

[J.J.B.]

Similar to something I posted last year, looks like the Guardian has developed it further and obtained more grim evidence.

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=23216

[richard]

Goodbye Prawn cocktails

Sickening but alas, sh1t happens

[crazy88]

Not saying it isn't true but I spent 10 years on boats in the gulf and we would regularly pull up to the fishing boats and swap whiskey and marlboro for fish and prawns. Always happy smiling lads on the boats running around in their underpants giving a bit of eye candy for the ladies who were sunbathing in their bikinis on the deck so fair exchange. Also been through many fishing ports here on ferries and pleasure boats and the boat boys are always smiling and waving. Why anyone would eat processed mass produced crap in a country where quality fresh food is available widely and cheaply I do not know. That said I do like a Fray Bentos pie and the occasional Fami black pepper chicken burger if I am on a long drive.

Crazy 88

[lomuamart]

Looks like the country could be heading towards the lowest ranking in terms of human trafficking and economic sanctions from the US.
http://www.theguardian.com/global-devel ... evelations

[kendo]

Thanks for posting that article Lomu and yes quite a shocking read, being on a ship like this is a completely controlled environment.

I think everyone should share your Guardian article on social media as the big retailers don't want their image or supply chain tainted with evidence of slavery.

All consumers want cheap as possible retail products, and yes very much market driven but further down the supply chain dodgy middle men and their suppliers are making a fortune out of exploitation.

I think all global retailers have a massive ethical duty here lets hope the awareness really does get raised on this one.

Going back many years know my wife lost two cousins that worked on fishing boats,.
They drink a lot of Whisky and take amphetamines end up fighting and some poor man gets thrown over board.

I think we all need to think more about where are food comes from and the price some have to pay to scratch a living.

Kendo.

[Spitfire]

The fishing industry here in Thailand is pretty infamous for it's use of slave labour and many men from neighboring countries are tricked into working on these boats for long amounts of time for little or no pay from the boat captains that are akin to some mini dictator that will throw you overboard if he so desires. Also recently, there was that incident too when Indonesia closed off it's waters because some Thai fishing boat killed two of it's navy's officers in an inspection boarding in Indonesian waters and threw their bodies over the side and then they did a runner back to the Thai mainland.

It's an industry that considers itself above the law as they operate often far from the Thai mainland and this industry has long been on the list of needs 'reeling in' and sorting out.....but it's a nettle the Thai authorities are unwilling to grasp due to the usual vested interests/mafia BS factor and spinelessness.

A big stain on the country it is......but essentually these Thai fishermen that operate the show/boats are mostly ex-coconut pickers and pirates (or immediate descendants of) that changed trades.

[Spitfire]

Ironically, just read this report about Thailand and most Gulf countries refusing to sign the UN pact on slave-labour in Geneva.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/most-recent/ ... ced-labour

[gerpies]

Wow - really sickening and eye opening stuff. I would hazard a guess that most of the prawns sold at the markets (and effectively restaurants) around Hua Hin would come from the many prawn farms around Pranburi. Would that be accurate?

[Bamboo Grove]

The really sad thing is that I read about this the first time more than 20 years ago and nothing has changed.

[PeteC]

Thailand has to be nuts in this case. Some others abstained from voting, Thailand was the only one to vote NO. Talk about pasting a big target on your back. Nothing that I've seen so far explains why they did it. News should be interesting in coming days. Pete

[PeteC]

An editorial about all of this:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... lave-trade

[PeteC]

Child labour is another topic. We read a lot about it in South Asia, and Africa but little about it in SE Asia. I'm sure another huge can of worms.

EDIT: However......Thais are generally very sweet and supportive of kids so maybe not an issue here except for the beggar brigade. Kids that leave school after year 6 or never attend school could be exploited easily though IMO. No idea about places like Burma, Cambodia etc.

[STEVE G]

Carrefour stops buying prawns from CP Foods following slavery revelations
http://www.theguardian.com/global-devel ... evelations

"Supermarket group Carrefour has decided to stop buying prawns from the Thai company CP Foods, following a Guardian investigation which revealed slavery in the supply chain.

The French retailer, which is one of the four largest in the world, announced that it had suspended purchases while it audited the complex chain. Other European retailers are reportedly vetting their own supply chain to verify whether slaves are involved at any stage in the process."

[PeteC]

http://news.yahoo.com/thailands-rampant ... 46897.html